Take Me Back
by Adimarchus
Summary: Sonic and the gang are pulled back through time when Shadow tries to alter his tragic history; can they find a way to return to the present or will they forever be stuck in the past?
1. Chapter 1: Bordem Fit

"Jeeze Tails, can't you make this thing go any faster? I think even Eggman could run faster!"

"I think it's a miracle that it hasn't fallen apart after the LAST stunt you made me pull when you decided to pay the Eggcarrier a visit."

The blue hedgehog laughed heartily. "Yeah but it was worth the look on ol' Egghead's face when I made his precious new cannon back-fire and take out that new pool he installed on the deck."

All Tails could do was sigh and laugh. He knew nothing he'd say to his friend would prevent him from pulling yet another crazy stunt in the future, but deep down he really didn't mind.

"Don't worry Sonic, we're almost there."

The Tornado II sailed through the clear skies toward the lonesome Angel Island. Even from this distance the green glitter of Master Emerald could be seen shimmering playfully in the early morning sunlight.

"Now approaching Angel Island. See, that didn't take so long! Let me just bring the plane around so I can land it."

"Hey! Is that who I think it is down there?"

Sonic leaned over the edge of the vehicle and pointed at the figure rigidly relaxing in the shade of a pillar on the Master Emerald's altar.

A faint glimmer of light reflected off his sunglasses which rested upon is blazing red dreadlocks. His view was fixated on the horizon, with his arms crossed firmly over his puffed out chest. As the aircraft approached, he shifted his focus and walked toward it; letting out a small chuckle to himself.

As the plane began to pass over the island, Sonic turned back to Tails, "Well buddy, see you on the island, I'm gonna go say hi to Knucklehead down there!"

"Wait! SONI-" but before Tails could scold the adventurous hedgehog, he had already jumped off the plane. Descending through the air with the wind blowing through his spines, Sonic dove straight and true toward the lone Echidna. Before the unwary Knuckles could react, Sonic had landed right on top of him.

"Hey Knux, how's it going?" He greeted him with a mile wide grin that only further enraged the crushed Echidna. Just as soon as his sentence ended, Knuckles swiftly wrestled the hedgehog off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Do I LOOK like some squishy cushion you can just land on whenever you want?!"

Sonic dusted himself off, all the while laughing at his rival's reaction to his choice of entry. "Well, you do look a bit soft around the middle, so in the right light, I guess you could say you DO look like one!" the hedgehog quipped back. "You sure you're getting enough exercise all alone out here Knuckles?"

Knuckles without another word lunged, fist forward toward Sonic in a furious rage, just barely missing the hedgehog by a hair.

"I am NOT soft!" he growled. Then letting out what seemed like a sigh (his anger still very noticeable) he asked, "Why do you come all the way out here just to bug me Sonic, you KNOW I'm supposed to be watching the Master Emerald."

By this time Tails had landed and had approached the bickering pair.

"Not even five minutes and you two are already at it…"

Rolling his eyes, and completely ignoring Tails, Sonic replied to Knuckles,

"One: I'm bored as hell. Two: Lighten up Knucklehead, Eggman hasn't made a move since that incident with the Ark, what are you so damn worried about! You should get off this island every once in a while and have some fun!"

"Whether danger is present or not, it is my sworn duty to guard this Emerald with my life, don't you get it? I can't leave this thing for one second! And besides, I never said I was bored in the first place; you're the one always dropping in a bugging me out of boredom!"

Sonic snickered out loud.

"What's so funny you spiky headed dork?"

"Oh nothing, just the fact that every time something bad has happened to the Master Emerald, you were never more than a few feet away to watch it happen!"

"Why you- !"

Just as Knuckles began to charge Sonic the Master Emerald began to glow incredibly bright, to the point where the light blinded the whole group. When the glowing subsided, the Emerald had vanished.

All of them were in complete shock. Knuckles, after realizing no matter how hard they gawked at the empty space that the Emerald would not be coming back, turned to Sonic.

"Not. A. Word."


	2. Chapter 2: Agreement in the Shade

The island suddenly began to fall towards the ocean having its power source revoked from it. With a thunderous crash, it sent waves in all directions before stabilizing itself in the water.

The trio, thrown off their feet by the sudden drop of their once stable ground, slowly regained their footing and began wondering what just happened. Knuckles began to search franticly, high and low, for his precious Emerald but all he found was disappointment and anger.

Following a howl of rage, he shouted, "DAMMIT, when I find out who did this I'll give them a first hand lesson on WHY my name is 'KNUCKLES'"

Sonic trying to keep the situation cool tries to calm his ruby friend down.

"Whoa Knux, take it easy, we'll help you get your Emerald back!"

"Take it EASY? You're the reason this mess happened in the first place! If it wasn't for your 'BOREDOM' fit, I wouldn't have been distracted from doing my duty!"

"HEY! Don't blame this on me because you can't multi-task!"

"YOU WANNA START SOMETHING HEDGEHOG?"

"BRING IT ON FIST-FOR-BRAINS!"

Just as they were at each other's throats, Tails intervened and pushed them apart.

"YOU GUYS, fighting each other isn't gonna get the Emerald back. We know it's obviously not on this island so we should move to the next possible place it could be."

Sonic, backing down, reluctantly agreed, "You're right Tails, come on Knux lets get going."

The Echidna was still fuming. "Sorry Tails, and forget it Sonic, I'm fixing this on my own. You can help me by staying the hell out of my way."

With that, Knuckles dashed off into the distance.

"Of all the stubborn…Fine, come on Tails lets go."

"Where are we going Sonic? Knuckles seemed pretty mad; I think we should leave him alone this time."

"Oh don't worry; we'll stay out of ol' Knucklehead's way. But there's definitely something rotten going on, especially if the Master Emerald's involved. Why don't we go pay our friend Eggman a visit?"

Tails' gave him a perplexed look, "You think Eggman did this? Doesn't that seem just a tad too predicable? Even for him?"

Sonic turned away from his friend and looked off into the distance where Knuckles had recently run to. "Did he do it? Maybe. In the chance he didn't though, I have a feeling he'd know something about it. Call it a hunch."

"Well, I hope you're right. I really don't want to risk getting shot down AGAIN for nothing." Tails chuckled.

Sonic laughed at the unexpected wisecrack from his sidekick. "All right! Let's give that Egghead a good and hearty wakeup call!"

* * *

The Echidna became a red blur, running through the forests which surround the Mystic Ruins

_Stupid hedgehog, why must he constantly disturb my peace whenever HE can't just sit still! Jeeze, can't he read a book or something? Come to think of it, I've never seen him actually READ anything! Sure I've seen him hold a book, or look at a book, hell he's even sat on books to get a better view in movie theaters! I wonder if he can read….GAH, I'm losing focus; I need to concentrate on where the Master Emerald went._

He paused in a clearing and surveyed the area; though focusing all his energy he could not feel the presence of his emerald anywhere nearby. Suddenly, the trees around him began to rustle.

_The wind? No…it sounded too heavy for it to be just the wind…something, or SOMEONE is in the trees._

Without a second though, Knuckles swiftly brought the tree next to him down in one punch. A high pitched squeal was followed by a shady figure dropping out of the tree as it fell.

"Honestly Knuckles, if this is how you treat a lady, I don't think you'll ever get a girl friend; lucky for you I'm the forgiving type."

A light giggle emitted from the shade as Rouge the Bat stepped away from her fallen perch.

"If you're an example of a lady, I think I will be happy staying single," Knuckles replied with a sardonic tone.

Rouge pouted and folded her arms over her chest. "Jerk."

"What do you want Rouge, I'm KINDA in the middle of something."

"What? I'm not allowed to check in on my favorite Echidna?" She winked coyly at the now calmer guardian.

Knuckles looked the bat square in the eyes and replied with a flat, "No. Now if you'll please, I've got to be going." He proceeded to walk away when she called after him.

"Aww what's the matter? Lost your precious Master Emerald AGAIN? Seriously, I would think a seasoned guardian such as YOU would be able to watch a jewel the size of a small car."

Those words pierced Knuckles like a searing arrow stopping him dead in his tracks. As quickly as he had stop, he turned around and shouted, "What do you know about the Emerald going missing?! Answer me bat, or you'll regret it!"

Rouge fluttered up into another tree, giggling all the way. "Heehee, I know something you don't know and I'd be more than HAPPY to tell you…for a price." She smiled; her fangs gleamed with mischievous intent.

"I don't have time or the patience for games Rouge, tell me NOW!" He charged the tree she had perched on and punched it down again. This time however she was able to fly out of it just in time.

Now clearly angry with the raging Echidna, she yelled, "Look here you muscle-headed goon! I'm trying to help you! I just would like YOU to help ME in return. I think it's more than a fair trade if your prized Emerald is going where I think it's going!"

The fires inside Knuckles' eyes subsided. He hated being used, but his Emerald came before his pride. With a sigh of reluctance, he looked up at the hovering bat. "Ok, Rouge, what. What do you want me to do for this info?"

"That's more like it," she giggled, clearly back to her normal self. "It has come to my attention that Dr. Robotnik has come into a possession of a very powerful gem detector. I don't think I need to explain why I want it now do I?" She smiled, even though Knuckles was clearly not amused.

"Anyway, the problem is that he keeps it in a very high security wing of his ship."

Knuckles interrupted, "Don't you work for Eggman?"

"Sure I do, but that doesn't mean we're best friends. Ugh, that's BESIDE the point."

"Then what IS the point!"

"I'M GETTING TO IT! God, you're impatient. Long story short: I need YOU to keep possible guards off ME."

Knuckles, not having much choice in the matter, agreed, "Now, what about my Emerald, you said you knew something."

"That I did. But to make sure you keep your end of the bargain, we're gonna do my little errand first. Got it?"

Obviously not happy with the decision, Knuckles growled at her through gritted teeth.

"Well if you wanna be like that, then I guess I don't HAVE to tell you were your Emerald is."

"FINE, let's just get a move on already!"

Without another word, the Echidna and the Bat rushed off like the wind. Deeper into the woods they went, through groves, and ruins of civilizations long past; deeper in towards the cliffs where the Eggcarrier now rested.


	3. Chapter 3: Taking out the Trash

Chapter 3

The odor of the sea was strong in the air around the crag where the Eggcarrier had made its temporary home. Heavily armed turrets guarded the only entrance in and out of the vessel; the whirring sounds they made were picked up by Rouge's ultra-sensitive ears. She crouched low in the bushes where she and her partner were taking cover. Turning to him, she was met with a most displeased look. 

"And how are we supposed to get by those?" he mockingly questioned.

"I never said we were going through the front door did I?"

"Then how do you propose we get in? I may be strong but we will be noticed if I make a hole in that wall."

Rouge sighed, "You need to stop thinking with your fists and start thinking with whatever is inside that head of yours."

Knuckles growled but she ignored it and continued.

"Here," she crouched down and removed a roll of paper from a pouch on her back. The document turned out to be a blueprint of the current Eggcarrier. 

Slightly befuddled, Knuckles looked up at the bat, "How'd you get this?"

"Oh come on now, look who you're talking to," she snickered; the Echidna, however, was not so easily amused and urged her to continue.

"Anyway, THIS is where we get in," she pointed at what appeared to be shaft leading from the bottom of the ship, deep into its core.

"An air duct?"

"Well, if you mean garbage when you say "air" then yes, you're right."

The mere thought of a dark, dank, chute reeking of garbage contorted Knuckles' face into a grimace of unfathomable disgust. He turned his distorted face towards his partner as a twitch of repulsion shot through his brow.

"Hey, I'm not too thrilled about it either! But this shaft leads right into the factory of the Carrier which is right next to the R&D lab. Any other vent will bring us into his living quarters which are far from where we want to be."

The Echidna did not want to trudge through Robotnik's trash, but the thought of him falling through a duct to find the Eggman singing in the shower frightened him more. Slowly and reluctantly, he agreed.

"Good," Rouge assumed command, "Ok, follow me." 

She signaled for him to stay low and together they swiftly ran to the border of the cliff. Pointing in the direction they needed to head, they both leaped off the edge and glided towards the lower hull of the craft. 

Both of them met the hull with a dull clang, digging their claws into the side to avoid plummeting into the ocean below. The pair gradually climbed towards the duct Rouge had pointed out earlier. Upon arrival, they both looked into the long dark tunnel; it reeked of motor oil and 3 week old tacos. 

He turned to Rouge, trying to keep a straight face from the smell. "Lady's first."

This comment did not amuse the bat one bit. She merely pointed into the abyss-like hole, "In. Now."

With Knuckles leading the way, they scaled the dark passageway which led up into the ship. The surface was smooth and slick with grease from unrecognizable sources. The deeper they climbed, the stronger the toxic odor grew; almost strong enough to make one faint. The darkness was deep as pitch, but the pair's heightened senses more than compensated for the lack of light. 

After what seemed to be an eternity of climbing they reached an area that leveled off enough that they could stand. The tunnel was by no means small; it was large enough to accommodate the many large machines that Dr. Robotnik saw fit to dispose of, leaving more than enough room for the pair to stand comfertably in. Knuckles stretched out his arms from the climb while Rouge removed the blueprints from her pack. Her exceptional night-vision allowed her to see the plans clearly without the aid of a light. 

"We must be in the compactor," Rouge said, rolling up the document and carefully placing in back in her bag. "There is a shaft up ahead that should take us into the robot factory. Once in there we have to be very careful, since that's the place Robotnik keeps all his minions." Knuckles acknowledged her with an understanding grunt.

With Rogue leading onwards, Knuckles followed the bat cautiously through the compactor; its long path littered with broken machines and rejected robots.

A shifting in the debris is heard ahead of them.

Both treasure hunters put up their guard. "Did you hear that?" Knuckles asked.

"Something is up ahead."

In the distance, two circular red lights slowly flicker on. A motor roars to life as the eyes rise higher and a metallic voice echoes down the shaft. 

"E-108 Mk. I, light sentry, is now online, stating primary functions: patrol and defend the Eggcarrier from intruders. Commencing primary function."

The heavy clanging of steel feet grew louder and louder as the unseen robot approached; his glowing eyes revolved from side to side scanning for trespassers.

"Alright! Something that finally falls into MY field of expertise." Knuckles grinned with malicious intent. 

Before Rouge could say anything to stop him, Knuckles had already begun to charge the mechanized guard, pounding his fists together with what could only be described as excitement.

The guard turned its full gaze towards the sprinting Echidna. 

"Intruder sited, commencing termination."

The sentinel then raised its single right arm; attached to it was a large machine gun. Knuckles dove behind a nearby trash pile to his right as it unleashed a torrent of gunfire; however he was not quick enough to dodge the bullet which pierced through his left shoulder. 

Upon hitting the floor he propped himself up against the mound of twisted metal, "DAMN IT!" He growled in anger at his own carelessness.

Rouge, upon hearing the gunfire quickly took cover to the left of to Knuckles position.

"We've got to get past him!" She shouted over the barrage of bullets which divided them, "The compactor can start up at any mome-" but before she could finish her sentence, an even larger motor was heard starting up behind them. They both looked back, the sentry still firing blindly in their direction. Just as Rouge predicted, the compactor had been turned on for its morning duties and way slowly closing in on them. 

"This day just gets better by the moment doesn't it?" Knuckles asked to himself more than his partner. He then turned his full attention to Rouge, "Rouge! When I give the signal, run for the shaft! Don't argue just do it!" She nodded, awaiting his signal, the compacting wall growing closer to them by the second.

After a few more seconds of firing, the assault suddenly stopped.

"Ammunition reserve is depleted, switching to close quarter combat mode."

At that instant Knuckles gave the signal, "NOW! Go for it Rouge!"

The pair simultaneously ran from their cover towards the robot; Rouge passing him first, dodging a vicious swing of its large weapon. Recognizing Knuckles quickly, it turned to face the raging Echidna. Its gun arm raised up and swung around to throw Knuckles an engine powered right hook. Knuckles quickly rolled under the hook, grunting in pain because of his damaged arm. Upon recovering from his dodge, he quickly turned to face his opponent.

"You call THAT a right hook?" he taunted, "I'll show you how a real fighter throws a punch!" With that, he used his good arm to smash the robot in its open midsection, shattering it clean in half. Screws and shrapnel flew everywhere, but Knuckles didn't have time to bathe in the glory of his handicapped victory, for the monstrous compacting wall was almost upon him. Realizing this he then ran and jumped into the upper shaft where Rouge was waiting for him. The compacter then shut the gap behind them, making it impossible to return through this entrance for a while.

This shaft was oddly enough lit by tiny lights that lined the edges of the ceiling. It was bright enough for Rouge to see that Knuckles was wounded. She nodded towards the injury, "That won't slow you down now will it? You attract enough attention when you're HEALTHY."

Knuckles shot her a glare that would make a hurricane turn around in fear. He then tore off one of his signature green socks and wrapped it around the open wound. 

"There. All better, let's get a move on."

They began walking through the angled chute upwards towards the exit. Neither of them spoke. 

Just before exiting, Knuckles looked back the way they came and muttered,

"What kind of weirdo puts lights in a garbage chute?"


End file.
